Toilet plunger

ABSTRACT

A toilet plunger is used to unclog a drain of a toilet by removing impurities. The toilet plunger includes a gas container, with an opening thereof closed by a closing plate. A body has defined therein a passage extending in the lengthwise direction to allow gas to pass through and a gas container-receiving portion. A puncture pin is disposed in the central portion of the gas container-receiving portion. A cover has an inner space for receiving a portion of the gas container opposite the opening. The cover is screw-coupled to the upper portion of the body, such that the container is moved toward the puncture pin according to a screw motion. An insert is connected to the lower end of the body to guide the discharged gas along the passage toward the drain. A portion of the insert, which is intermediate in length, is bent in one direction.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority from Korean Patent ApplicationNumber 10-2010-0091349 filed on Sep. 17, 2010, the entire contents ofwhich application are incorporated herein for all purposes by thisreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a toilet plunger, and moreparticularly, to a toilet plunger, in which high-pressure gas isdischarged into a drain that is clogged with impurities, so that thedrain can be unclogged, and in which a gas container, which is filledwith gas, can be easily replaced.

2. Description of Related Art

Toilets provided in houses and buildings serve to discharge excrement,which is expelled from the body of humans, to the outside through adrain. The drain frequently becomes clogged with excrement or impuritiescontained in the excrement while it discharges the excrement to theoutside.

When the drain is clogged by the impurities, chemicals capable ofdissolving the impurities are used to unclog the drain. However, thisapproach has problems in that it is time-consuming and entails.

Accordingly, a cleaning tool having a suction cup on one end thereof isused domestically in order to simply and rapidly unclog the drain.However, the suction cup of such a cleaning tool does not providesufficient suction force, since its space is limited. Consequently, theunclogging performance of the cleaning tool is not efficient.

In order to solve this problem, a drain cleaning device, whichcompresses air inside an enclosed container by actuating a pistonprovided in a cylinder in order to unclog a clogged drain, has beenproposed. However, this device cannot apply a great amount of pressureto the drain, since the suction force is limited by the space inside thecylinder. In addition, the piston must be operated repeatedly in orderto produce a large amount of pressure.

The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section isonly for the enhancement of understanding of the background of theinvention, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form ofsuggestion that this information forms a prior art that would already beknown to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various aspects of the present invention provide a toilet plunger inwhich high-pressure gas is instantaneously discharged toward a cloggeddrain by puncturing one portion of a gas container, in which thehigh-pressure gas is contained, using a puncture pin, so the drain canbe easily unclogged.

Also provided is a toilet plunger in which an insert, which is intendedto be inserted into the drain, is bent at a predetermined angle, so thathigh-pressure gas can be properly discharged toward the drain.

Also provide is a toilet plunger in which a body is coupled to a covervia a screw. Consequently, a gas container can be easily replaced whenit is exhausted, and thus the toilet plunger can be reused.

In an aspect of the present invention, the toilet plunger that is usedto unclog a drain of a toilet by removing impurities. The toilet plungerincludes a gas container containing a predetermined amount of gastherein, with an opening thereof closed by a closing plate. A body hasdefined therein a passage extending in the lengthwise direction to allowthe gas to pass through and a gas container-receiving portion depressedto a predetermined depth from the upper end thereof to closely receivean opening side of the gas container. A puncture pin is disposed in thecentral portion of the gas container-receiving portion to puncture theclosing plate so that the gas that is contained in the gas container isdischarged toward the passage. A cover has an inner space capable ofreceiving a portion of the gas container opposite the opening. The coveris screw-coupled to the upper portion of the body to cover the upperportion of the body that is open, such that the container is movedtoward the puncture pin according to a screw motion when a user rotatesthe cover. An insert is connected to the lower end of the body to guidethe gas that is discharged from the gas container along the passagetoward the drain. A portion of the insert, which is intermediate inlength, is bent a predetermined angle in one direction such that theinsert is easily inserted into the drain.

It is preferred that the body have a pair of partitions therein, thepartitions being spaced apart from each other at a predeterminedinterval, thereby forming a puncture pin-receiving portion, into whichthe puncture pin is disposed, and dividing the gas container-receivingportion and the passage from each other.

It is preferred that the toilet plunger further include a coupling ring,which surrounds an outer circumference of the puncture pin. The couplingring with the puncture pin coupled thereto is fitted into the puncturepin-receiving portion

It is preferred that each of the partitions have a safety passagetherein, the safety passage being formed around the puncturepin-receiving portion to connect the gas container-receiving portion tothe passage in order to adjust pressure in the gas container-receivingportion

It is preferred that the puncture pin have a through-passage in thecentral portion thereof. The through-passage guides the gas that isdischarged from the gas container toward the passage

It is preferred that the body also have a pressing member surroundingthe outer surface thereof. The pressing member presses the puncturepin-receiving portion

It is preferred that the pressing member have at least one anti-slipgroove along the outer circumference in the outer surface thereof, theanti-slip groove depressed a predetermined depth.

It is preferred that the insert have a close contact plate along theouter circumference in the upper portion thereof. The close contactplate protrudes outwards a predetermined length, such that the closecontact plate comes into close contact with surroundings of the drainwhen the insert is inserted into the drain.

It is preferred that the gas be one selected from the group consistingof CO₂, O₂, and N₂.

According to embodiments of the invention, high-pressure gas isinstantaneously discharged toward a clogged drain by puncturing oneportion of the gas container, in which the high-pressure gas iscontained, using the puncture pin, and the insert, which is intended tobe inserted into the drain, is bent at a predetermined angle, so thathigh-pressure gas can be properly discharged toward the drain, therebyeasily unclogging the drain.

Furthermore, the body is coupled to the cover using a screw.Consequently, a gas container can be easily replaced when it isexhausted, so that the toilet plunger can be reused.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other featuresand advantages which will be apparent from, or are set forth in greaterdetail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, andin the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which togetherserve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a toilet plungeraccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the toilet plunger shownin FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing the operationalrelationship of a toilet plunger of the invention, in which FIG. 3Ashows the status before puncturing, and FIG. 3B shows the status afterpuncturing; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the use of a toilet plungeraccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and described below. While the invention will be described inconjunction with exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that thepresent description is not intended to limit the invention to thoseexemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended tocover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives,modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be includedwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

Throughout this document, reference should be made to the drawings, inwhich the same reference numerals and signs are used throughout thedifferent drawings to designate the same or similar components.

A toilet plunger 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention includes a gas container 110, a body 120, a puncture pin 130,a cover 140, and an insert 150, in which the insert 150 is inserted intoan S trap 15 connected to a toilet bowl 10, after which the cover 140 isrotated, so that a drain can be plunged by instantaneous high pressure.

The gas container 110 serves to contain high-pressure gas that isintended to be discharged in order to unclog the drain of the toiletbowl 10, and is extended a predetermined length, with an opening 112connected to the inner space thereof.

The opening 112 is closed using a thin closing plate 114 after thehigh-pressure gas is supplied into the space inside the gas container110 through the opening 112, so that the high-pressure gas containedtherein does not leak to the outside.

Here, the closing plate 114 is punctured by the puncture pin 130 inresponse to manipulation of the toilet plunger by a user, so thathigh-pressure gas that is contained inside the closing plate 114 isdischarged toward the drain through a passage 125 in the body 120.

The high-pressure gas contained inside the gas container 110 is oneselected from among CO₂, N₂, and O₂. Here, CO₂ is contained in the formof dry ice or liquid, and N₂, and O₂ are contained in the form ofcompressed gas. The gas is contained in an amount of about 5 to 6 litersunder a pressure of 10 kg/mm² inside the gas container 110.

However, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit thetype, pressure, or amount of gas to be contained in the gas container110. Rather, the type, pressure, or amount of gas can be variouslychanged depending on the circumstance, such as use or size.

The body 120 serves as a passage through which the high-pressure gasdischarged from the gas container 110 flows. The body 120 is formed as ahollow structure having a predetermined length, with an inner spaceextending in the lengthwise direction thereof. The open upper portion isclosed by being coupled to the cover 140, and the open lower portion isconnected to the insert 150.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of partitions 122 is arranged inside the body120 such that the partitions 122 face each other at a predeterminedinterval, so that the space inside the body 120 is divided into theupper and lower areas. Since the partitions 122 are spaced apart fromeach other at the predetermined interval, the space defined in thecentral area forms a puncture pin-receiving portion 124, into which thepuncture pin 130 is fitted.

That is, the body 120 has a gas container-receiving portion 123 in theupper portion thereof, which is defined by the pair of partitions 122,which divide the space inside the body 120 into the upper and lowerareas. The lower area of the space inside the body 120 forms the passage125, through which the high-pressure gas discharged from the gascontainer 110 can travel to the insert 150. The gas container-receivingportion 123 and the passage 125 are connected to each other via thepuncture pin-receiving portion 124.

Consequently, after the opening of the gas container 110 is fitted intothe gas container-receiving portion 123, if the closing plate 114 istorn by the puncture pin 130, the high-pressure gas stored in the gascontainer 110 is discharged into the passage 125 through the puncturepin 130.

Here, the partitions 122 can have safety passages 126 formed around thepuncture pin-receiving portion 124, the safety passages 126 connectingthe gas container-receiving portion 123 to the passage 125.

In the toilet plunger 100 of this embodiment, when the closing plate 114is punctured by the puncture pin 130, the high-pressure gas isdischarged toward the passage 125 through the puncture pin 130. At thistime, a user can be injured by repulsive power if very high pressure isgenerated instantaneously.

The safety passages 126 serve as a safety means that protects the userfrom the danger of injury. Specifically, the safety passages 126 lowerthe pressure under which the high-pressure gas is discharged by allowinga portion of the high-pressure gas that is discharged toward the passage125 from the gas container 110 to travel to the passage 125 through thesafety passages 126.

As shown in the figures, the gas container-receiving portion 123 isdepressed to a predetermined depth from the upper end to form a shapethat is substantially the same as that of the gas container 110, suchthat one portion of the gas container 110, specifically, the portion inwhich the opening 112 is formed, can be fitted into the gascontainer-receiving portion 123.

The lower portion of the gas container-receiving portion 123, which isconnected to the puncture pin-receiving portion 124, is narrowed suchthat the opening 112 of the gas container 110 can be positioned therein.

Consequently, the portion of the gas container 110 in which the opening112 is formed is inserted into the gas container-receiving portion 123,and the other portion of the gas container 110, which is closed, isinserted into the cover 140, which will be described later, so that thegas container 110 is seated in the upper portion of the body 120.

Here, the cover 140 is screw-coupled to the upper portion of the body120 to cover the gas container-receiving portion 123, such that the gascontainer 110 is not exposed to the outside. Specifically, first threads121 are formed in the upper portion of the body 120 and second threads142 corresponding to the first threads 121 are formed in the innercircumference of the cover 140, such that the cover 140 is screw-coupledto the upper portion of the body 120.

Here, as described above, the cover 140 has a recess 144 in the portionthereof that is connected to the body 120. The recess 144 is depressedto a predetermined depth such that the portion of the gas container 110can be fitted thereinto.

That is, the gas container 110 is fitted into the toilet plunger 100,with one portion thereof, including the opening 112, arranged in the gascontainer-receiving portion 123, and the other portion thereof fittedinto the recess 144 in the cover 140.

Consequently, the toilet plunger 100 of this embodiment can be reused byreplacing the gas container 110, from which gas is discharged, with anew one by opening the upper portion of the body 120 by rotating thecover 140 in one direction.

In addition, since the cover 140 is screw-coupled to the upper portionof the body 120, when the cover 140 is rotated in the other direction,the cover 140 gradually moves down along the outer circumference of thebody 120 according to a screw motion.

Consequently, the gas container 110, with one portion thereof fittedinto the cover 140, is displaced downward in response to the movement ofthe cover 140 so that the closing plate 114 thereof is punctured by thepuncture pin 130, which is fitted into the puncture pin-receivingportion 124, thereby discharging the high-pressure gas contained in thegas container 110 into the passage 125.

In the meantime, the puncture pin 130 is fitted into the puncturepin-receiving portion 124 formed in the body 120 such that it canpuncture the closing plate 114 of the gas container 110, which is moveddownward when the cover 140 is rotated.

It is preferred that a hollow coupling ring 160 having an open centralportion be additionally provided such that the puncture pin 130 isfitted into the coupling ring 160, which is fitted in this state intothe puncture pin-receiving portion 124.

That is, the coupling ring 160 is interference-fitted into the puncturepin-receiving portion 124 in order to support the puncture pin 130 suchthat the puncture pin 130 can be fixed in a predetermined position. Inaddition, the coupling ring 160 is made of a shrinkable or elasticmaterial such as urethane, so that it can be fitted into the puncturepin-receiving portion 124.

The puncture pin 130 is configured such that a through-passage 132,which allows gas to pass through, is formed in the central portionthereof. When the puncture pin 130 is fitted into the puncturepin-receiving portion 124, the sharp upper portion of the puncture pin130 protrudes a predetermined height from the upper surface of thecoupling ring 160. Consequently, when the gas container 110 movesdownward, the upper portion of the puncture pin 130 can puncture theclosing plate 114.

In addition, a hollow pressing member 170 can be coupled to the body 120such that it surrounds the outer surface of the body 120. The pressingmember 170 is hollow, and extends a predetermined length such that itcan press the portion of the outer circumference of the body 120, inwhich the puncture pin-receiving portion 124 is formed.

That is, the pressing member 170 is interference-fitted around the outersurface of the body 120 to provide inward compressive force to the outersurface of the body 120. This is intended to press the puncture pin 130,which is fitted into the puncture pin-receiving portion 124, by applyingthe compressive force from the pressing member 170 to the puncturepin-receiving portion 124, so that the puncture pin 130 is securelyfixed without moving up or down.

Here, one or more anti-slip grooves 172 can be formed along the outercircumference in the outer surface of the pressing member 170. Theanti-slip grooves 172 are depressed a predetermined depth.

When the user attempts to rotate the cover 140 in one direction with onehand while grasping the pressing member 170 with the other hand, theanti-slip grooves 172 prevent the other hand from slipping on thepressing member 170, so that the user can easily rotate the cover 140.

The insert 150, which is connected to the lower portion of the body 120,is inserted into the drain, which is connected to the toilet. In thisposition, the insert 150 serves to guide the high-pressure gas that isdischarged from the gas container 110 toward the drain.

A portion of the insert 150, which is intermediate in length, is bent apredetermined angle in one direction such that the insert 150 can beeasily inserted into the drain. In general, the S trap 15 is provided atone end of the drain, which is connected to the toilet, in order toprevent a bad smell, which occurs from the inside of the drain, fromexiting through the toilet bowl 10.

In the toilet plunger 100 of this embodiment, since the portion of theinsert 150, which is intermediate in length, is bent, the insert 150 canbe correctly inserted into the bent S trap and guide the high-pressuregas to be properly discharged into the drain.

Consequently, the high-pressure gas that that is discharged from the gascontainer 110 through the passage and the insert 150 into the drain canbe properly supplied to the drain, thereby easily removing impuritiesfrom the drain.

The insert 150 is hollow, and the lower portion of the body 120 isinterference-fitted into the upper portion of the insert 150. Inaddition, the insert 150 has a stopper 152 in order to limit the depthto which the lower portion of the body 120 is inserted upward. Thestopper 152 protrudes inwards a predetermined length, so that the lowerend of the body 120 is blocked and fixed in position by the stopper 152.

The insert 150 also has a close contact plate 154 along the outercircumference in the upper portion thereof. The close contact plate 154protrudes outwards a predetermined length. When the insert 150 isinserted into the toilet hole and is connected to the drain, the closecontact plate 154 covers and closes the surroundings of the toilet hole,thereby preventing the discharged high-pressure gas from flowingbackwards.

In addition, the close contact plate 154 comes in close contact with thesurroundings of the toilet hole to support force that the user appliesto the toilet, thereby helping the user withstand repulsive force thatis generated when the high-pressure gas is discharged.

With reference to FIG. 4, a description will be made of the operation ofthe toilet plunger 100 of this embodiment.

When the drain of the toil is clogged, the insert 150 is brought intocontact with the opening of the drain of the toilet bowl 10. The gascontainer 110 is moved downwards by rotating the cover 140 in onedirection, so that the closing plate 114 of the gas container 110 ispunctured by the puncture pin 130, which is seated in the puncturepin-receiving portion 124.

When the closing plate 114 is torn, high-pressure gas is discharged fromthe gas container 110 through the through-passage 132, passes throughthe passage 125 and the insert 150, and is then discharged into thedrain.

Here, a portion of the high-pressure gas that is discharged through thepuncture of the closing plate 114 is discharged into the passage 125through the safety passages 126 in order to adjust the pressure insidethe plunger 100.

When the high-pressure gas that has been stored is used, the user canseparate the cover 140 from the body 120 by rotating it in the otherdirection and replace the gas container 110 with a new one, which isthen ready to be used.

As set forth above, high-pressure gas is instantaneously dischargedtoward a clogged drain by puncturing one portion of the gas container,in which the high-pressure gas is contained, using the puncture pin, andthe insert, which is intended to be inserted into the drain, is bent ata predetermined angle, so that high-pressure gas can be properlydischarged toward the drain, thereby easily unclogging the drain.

Furthermore, the body is coupled to the cover using a screw.Consequently, a gas container can be easily replaced when it isexhausted, and thus the toilet plunger can be reused.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention have been presented for the purposes of illustrationand description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain certain principles of the invention and their practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make andutilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as wellas various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto andtheir equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet plunger that is used to unclog a drainof a toilet by removing impurities, the toilet plunger comprising: a gascontainer containing a predetermined amount of gas therein, with anopening thereof closed by a closing plate; a body having defined thereina passage extending in a lengthwise direction to allow the gas to passthrough and a gas container-receiving portion depressed to apredetermined depth from an upper end thereof to closely receive anopening side of the gas container; a puncture pin disposed in a centralportion of the gas container-receiving portion to puncture the closingplate so that the gas that is contained in the gas container isdischarged toward the passage; a cover having an inner space capable ofreceiving a portion of the gas container opposite the opening, whereinthe cover is screw-coupled to an upper portion of the body to cover theupper portion of the body that is open, such that the container is movedtoward the puncture pin according to a screw motion when a user rotatesthe cover; and an insert connected to a lower end of the body to guidethe gas that is discharged from the gas container along the passagetoward the drain, wherein the body has a pair of partitions therein, thepartitions being spaced apart from each other at a predeterminedinterval, thereby forming a puncture pin-receiving portion, into whichthe puncture pin is disposed, and dividing the gas container-receivingportion and the passage from each other, and wherein each of thepartitions has a safety passage therein, the safety passage being formedaround the puncture pin-receiving portion to connect the gascontainer-receiving portion to the passage in order to adjust pressurein the gas container-receiving portion.
 2. The toilet plunger of claim1, further comprising a coupling ring, which surrounds an outercircumference of the puncture pin, wherein the coupling ring with thepuncture pin coupled thereto is fitted into the puncture pin-receivingportion.
 3. The toilet plunger of claim 1, wherein the puncture pin hasa through-passage in a central portion thereof, wherein thethrough-passage guides the gas that is discharged from the gas containertoward the passage.
 4. The toilet plunger of claim 1, wherein the bodyfurther has a pressing member surrounding an outer surface thereof,wherein the pressing member presses the puncture pin-receiving portion.5. The toilet plunger of claim 4, wherein the pressing member has atleast one anti-slip groove along an outer circumference in an outersurface thereof, the anti-slip groove depressed a predetermined depth.6. The toilet plunger of claim 1, wherein the insert has a close contactplate along an outer circumference in an upper portion thereof, whereinthe close contact plate protrudes outwards a predetermined length, suchthat the close contact plate comes into close contact with surroundingsof the drain when the insert is inserted into the drain.
 7. The toiletplunger of claim 1, wherein the gas is one selected from the groupconsisting of CO₂, O₂, and N₂.